Beer barrel



Aug. 13, 1935. H. R. CLARK ET AL BEER BARREL '.III

Filed Sept. 28, 1934 l F/a. a- "f-22"* lNvr-:NToR HAROLD nac/.ARK a, n rYMoNn w.RusH

WAT-roma Patented Aug. 173, 1935 j v '2,010,977 BEER BARREL Harold Clark and Ra ymond W. Rush, Oil City,

Pa., assgnors to Allied Barrel Corporation, Oil City, Pa., a corporation of Pennsylvania Application September 28, 1934, Serial No. 745,882

2 Claims.

'I'his construction relates to improvements in beer barrels, and more especially to the form and proportions of the croze in the staves and to the construction, conformation and relative lproportions of the bead at and adjacent to the outer cir-V cumference of the head for occupancy of said croze.

The primary object of this invention is the production of a croze and bead which, through the entire extent of their seating surfaces shall be in such :firm assembled relation as to not only produce a stronger and'more durable barrel than has heretofore been produced, but in addition thereto, a barrel that is leak-tight as to its liquid content, and the pressure medium therein which is employed to eject the liquid and actuate it to a dispensing outlet or dispensing device, also to preserve said liquid in its proper beverage condition.

The construction whereby said objects are attained is clearly illustrated in the accompanying drawing in which:

Fig. 1 is a vertical section through one corner of the end of a beer barrel, showing the relative positions of the head and its bead, the stave and its Croze and the top or terminal hoop.

Fig. 2 is a vertical radial section through one edge of an improved beer barrel head and its bead, as formed in accordance with the invention herein disclosed. 4

Fig. 3 is a vertical section through one end of a beer barrel stave of full-dressed form employed in our improved barrel.

'I'he figures of the drawing are drawn to a full size scale of a barrel of the size which is generally known inthe brewing art as a half barrel, and the relative proportions of the head, stave and the features thereof respectively are substantially those employed in actual construction of our improved barrel.

The designations of the various features of our improved stave as illustrated in Fig. 3 are, the chime l, the howel 2, the croze 3the shoulder 4, and the adjacent portion 5 of a full-dressed stave.

The designation of the various features of the head as shown in Fig. 2 are, bead E, top bevel l, and bottom bevel 8: An end hoop is shown at 9 in Fig. 1.

The croze 3 is formed in the inner face of the stave so that the upper and lower opposing faces li) and l! thereof are parallel and the inner or rearward wall l2 is disposed in substantially parallel relation to the adjacent outer face I3 of the staves. K

The bead 6 at the circumferential edge of the head is formed by a shallow top concave bevel l, and a deep bottom concave bevel 8. If the number 22 is taken as representing the full thickness of the headthen the relative depth and Width of said beveled portions, and the thickness of said 5 bead, at its outer edge, should be approximately the following proportions of said head thickness:

Depth of said top shallow concave at its outer edge, 2, width l5.

Depth of said deep concave at its outer edge, I l, 10 width, 22.

Thickness of said bead at its outer edge, 9. The vertical dimension or width of said croze conforms to said proportional edge dimension 9 of said bead; the peripheral edge Svof said bead 15 conforms to the rearward wall l2 of said croze, so that 'all corresponding faces of said bead and Croze are in close and rm Contact in the finished barrel.

It will beV seen from an inspection of the draw- 20 ing that, when bead B is formed in accordance with the proportions given in the preceding paragraph the upper and lower concave faces I and 8 thereof have sufficient convergence at the inner face of the stava-see Fig. l-to cause the croze 25 to be somewhat widened, and the bead to be tightly compressed therein during assembly of the barrel, and when a heavy circumferential pressure tons being commonly employed) is exerted upon the barrel during said assembly, ab- 30 solutely impervious joints are formed not only between the staves but between said head and croze.

It is not our purpose to conne our improved barrel construction strictly to the structural proportions previously given; said proportions are 35 given for the purpose of enabling those skilled in the art of cooperage to employ our inventive idea without previous experimentation.

Coopers flag may be used, in the usual manner in our improved barrel construction.

We claim the following:

1. In a head structure for beer barrels, a croze formed within the staves of such barrel having parallel upper and lower opposing walls and its rearward wall substantially parallel with the ad 45 jacent outer face of the staves, in combination with a head having a thickness which is substantially equal to two and one-half times the width of said Croze, said thickness, at and adjacent to the circumference of said head being re- 50 duced by a shallow, upper concave bevel having a depth at its outer edge which is substantially equal to one eleventh of the thickness of said head and a deeper, lower concave bevel having a depth whichr is substantially equal to one half 55 of the thickness of said head whereby a bead is formed, the conformation of which bead is such, as to be caused by heavy circumferential pressure upon the related end of the staves to rJccupy said Croze at leak tight contact with and throughout the extent of the walls thereof.

2. In a head structure for beer barrels, a croze :formed within the staves of such barrel having parallel upper and lower opposing Walls, the inner wall of said croze being substantially parallel with the outer face of the adjacent portion of said staves, in combination with a head which, in thickness, is substantially equal to 21/2 times the width of said croze, said thickness at and adjacent the circumference of said head being reduced by an upper concave bevel and a lower concave bevel to form a bead for occupancy of said Croze; said upper bevel having a width which is substantially equal to 15/22 of said thickness, and a depth equal to 2 /22 of said thickness; said lower concave bevel having a width which is equal to the full thickness of said head and a depth which is equal to 11/22 thereof whereby said bead is adapted to occupy said Croze at leak-tight contact with and throughout the entire extent of the walls of said Croze.

HAROLD R. CLARK.

RAYMOND W. RUSH. 

